Headlight control for automobiles



Patented Sept. i9,

stars FLADGET canoni, or cunris,

iiuiinnieriir CONTROL ron, AUroi/ioiaiiuis.

Application filedl August 28, 1919. Serial No. 320,335.

To all fr0/nomi t may concern Be it known that I, FLAnsn'r Gnomi, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Curtis, in the county of AOttawa and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Headlight Controls for Automobiles; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others, skilled in the art to which it appertains, to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this speciiication.

My invention relates to and its lobject is to provide devices by means of which the head-lights of an automobile will, through connections with the steering gea-r, be caused to automatically and invariably turn and throw their light in the direction of the travel of the car. To this end my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1, is a top-plan view of the forward part of the chassis of an automobile provided with my head-light control; Fig. 2 a side-elevation of the saine taken on line .ca -a Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a plan-view, on an enlarged scale, taken on line g/-g/ Fig. 2,v

and Fig. 4, a side-elevation, on an enlarged scale, of one of my head-lights showing its supporting standard, together with the rackbar, pinion and operating spindle, hereinafter referred to, in vertical section.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

In the drawings, 1--1 represent the side-` members of the frame of the chassis of an automobile. Upon these side-members, near their forward ends, are rigidly secured upright hollow standards 2-2. Within each of the hollowstandards is revolubly supported a hollow spindle 3, which projects above the standard and below the side-bar 1. Each of the spindles at its top` is operatively connected with the usual head-light,

consisting of a hood 4, providedy with theY tending up through the hollow spindles to the lamps.

The two standards *2 2 arey rigidly connected by means of afhorizontal,cross-bar `25.*IIhis'- bar is hollow and is composed of'.

upper and lower partsseparablyconnected by suitable bolts and nuts, as at 6. Within the hollow cross-bar 25 is mounted a reciprocable bai" 7, formed-for a short distance opposite the spindles 3-asa toothed rack, as at 8, Fig. 3. These toothed' portions are engaged by pinions 9 secured to the spindles 3. A portion of each of the standards 2 is'enlarged to receive and to 'form a housing lfor the pinions and racks at the points where they are engaged. It will now be seen that by reason of the connections between the two spindles 3, as just described, the two head-lights must turn in unison to the right orlef. i

Rigidly connected to the projecting lower i end of the spindle 3 nearest the operators side of the car, is a horizontal arm 10 to which is pivotally secured, as at 11, the vforward end of a rod 12 which leads backwardly to and is connected, as at 13, with a steeringball arm 14. This arm at its lower end is 15 whichis connected at its lforward endL with the usual steering -knuckles 16. The connection 13 consists, preferably, for example, of two clamping members, 13a, which are vertically adjustable on the arm 14.` This adjustment varies the horizontalthrow oflthe rod 12 and, consequently, the 'extent of the turning of the head-lights with the movement of the steering-gears. The steering-wheel andi' its connections with the steering knuckles are 'well understood and need not here be further villustrated or described. i The operation of mydevice will now be obvious. The arm which gives motion to the yconnecting rod which actuates the steering-knuckles being swung to turn the forward wheels of the machine to the right or left, a corresponding mot-ion will be communicated lto the head-lights. Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

In combination with a motor vehicle embodying a frame,a pair of front wheels carried by the frame, steering mechanism for thel wheels including a steering arm, and linkage from the arm to the wheels, of a second link adjustably connected to said arm, a

Eidl

pair ol upright tubular stamlerds carried in parallel relation by the frame between the wheels, e, headlight mounted on each standard and provided with n, tnhnla-r hearing through the standard, lightconnections through seid tubular hearing 'for each headlight, a crank on one oli' said hearings to which the link from the steering erm is directly connected, a housing` between the standards and spaced Yfrom the frame, a pinion carried loy each hearing in communication with the housing between the standards, and e rack in the housingl reciprocelole by the pinion on the crank carrying` lhefnrilglg Yfor shifting the other bearing sinniltaneously therewith whereby the connection toi.' directing the headlights is from the steel ing mechanism and independently ol receiving wheel Vibration.

In testimony whereof I my signature :in presence ol" two witnesses.

'FLADGET GROD.

Witnesses MARK VINOHESTER, L. MAE SILVERTHORNE. 

